Step It Up for Literacy 4-12

Overview
Step It Up builds educators’ capacity to provide systematic, explicit and effective literacy instruction to all students and targeted intervention for students experiencing difficulties with reading and writing.

Target Group
Classroom teachers in grades 4 – 12, principals, reading coaches and interventionists, paraprofessionals, and members of the school assessment/RtI team

Goal
The goal of Step It Up is to increase the literacy skills of all students in grades 4 – 12.

Objectives
Educators build increased capacity to:

Articulate core literacy knowledge

Integrate reading and writing in all content areas

Provide direct, explicit literacy instruction

Analyze student literacy needs and differentiate instruction

Key Outcomes

Increased response to each student’s reading and writing skill levels

Increased reading accuracy and fluency for students grades 4 – 12

Increased vocabulary development for students in grades 4 – 12

Increased reading comprehension for students in grades 4 – 12

Increased graduation rates

Content
Teachers’ needs are determined through collaborative analysis of data and discussion. Teachers gain evidence-based literacy knowledge about how students learn to read, how to effectively use assessment and screening instruments to determine appropriate teaching strategies, and specific instructional strategies, for both progressive skill development and remediation in four main areas: (1) reading accuracy and fluency, (2) reading comprehension, (3) vocabulary development, and (4) writing skills.

Support is provided to school leadership on topics such as schedule design for blocks of targeted, intensive intervention, data analysis, and effective program management and delivery.

Process
A needs assessment is conducted to determine student and teacher needs.

Educators participate in an interactive summer institute, and/or participate in several whole group interactive knowledge-building sessions at the school site.

Application of new knowledge skill development is supported by monthly technical assistance, including:

Facilitating large and small group problem-solving sessions

Facilitating study groups

Coaching and mentoring

Conducting classroom observations with positive corrective feedback

Participation in school assistance team meetings

Consulting with individual teachers to identify key strengths and challenges for a specific student, and to match that student’s profile to specific strategies and tactics

Facilitating conversations with parents on Learning Profiles topics

E-mentoring, teleconferencing and webinars

Staff
Step It Up for Adolescent Literacy is implemented by reading and literacy specialists.

Customization
CDL will customize this initiative to fit the unique needs of your school.